Protective curtain.



C. M. SEARS. P ROTECT |VE CURTAIN. MPuc'ATloN man 1uL`vto.19l1..

M452@ Patented Nw. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

AT1-ORN EY c. M. SEARS. PROTECTIVE CURTAIN. APPLICATION FILED .IUIY IOLIQI?.

l ,247,5'2'9. Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR ATToRN EY 'Witwen GHARLLES M. SEARS, F LENOX, MASSACHUSETTS.

l PBOTECTEVE CURTAIN.

i.eraar'a.' Y

Toall 'fathom t mayroacern: l

Beit brown-that I, CHARLES ll/i. Sirens, a citizen.. orf lthe United States7 residing at LenoX`,"inthe county of Berkshire and State of `Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Protective Curtains i of which' the following is a specification.

"This inventionrelates to devices for pro- Y tecting the cashiers of banks and other institutions against 'robbers and highwaymen and ithas particular` reference to that classY of devices in which `a-heavy curtain may be quickly interposed, by action of the cashier, between him and the prospectiverobben y One object of the-invention is to produce in' a; simple and improved for1n,`a curtain which" may be'.` unrolled by gravity and which, While not in use, is retained in rolledup condition by retaining mechanism which maybe quickly and efiiciently actuated to- Arelease the curtain lso as to permlt the same to drop.

A further object of the invention is to produce simple and improved mechanism whereby the releaseof the curtain also actuates a device whereby an electrical circuit is completed, thesame including a bell or sounder which may be located at any desired point.

A further object-of the invention is to produce a simple and improved mechanism whereby the cashier may quickly vand effectively break the circuit including the bell or sounder so that,y inthe event of false alarm orfor any other reason, such bell may be disconnected very quickly and Without causing unnecessary alarm.

the invention, it being. however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications Within the scope of the claims may be resorted to When desired.

In the drawings g.- Figure 1 is` a view in elevation of a por- A vSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2d, 3121?0 appiircaiinaleaJulyio,1917. semina. 179,777.

tion of, a bank counter to which the invention hasbeen applied.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2--2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig.' 1.

Fig. fl is a bottom plan view.

` Fig. 5 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 5--5 in Fig 1.v

F ig. 6 is a detail view o f the circuit making and breaking mechanism. i

Corresponding partsl in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The counter is supported by uprights 16 rising from a platform 17 which is supported above the floor 18. The uprights 16, or the portions of said uprights lying between the platform 17 and the ioor 18 are provided With slots 19 to accommodate and to permit the vertical movement of the bridge i portion 20 of a yoke. The limbs 21 of the yoke are guided for vertical movement in keepers 22 on the uprights 16.

The uprights 16, in addition to supporting the customary grille 23, afford bearings for a shaft 24 which serves as a drum to which a curtain 25 is attached and on Which said curtain may be wound. The curtain is pro vided at the free edge thereof with a heavy bar 26 the tendency of which is to gravitationally unrol'l the curtain, said bar being guided in grooves 27 in the inner faces of the uprights 16. The shaft 24 is provided at the ends thereof With spur Wheels 28 which are adapted to be engaged by dogs 29 formed 'at the upper ends of the limbs 21 of the yoke previously referred to.

The bridge piece 2O of the yoke hav-ing the limbs 21 is normally forced in an up- Wardl direction` by the action of springs 30 `which are socketed in the lower ends of the extends through the platform 17 in a convenient position to be touched or actuated by the foot of the cashier standing behind the counter. The arm 31 might be dispensed with, and the pedal 32 might be made to impinge directly on the bridge piece 20, but

the arm 31l provides a greater area for engagement with the pedal member 32 and .tends to insure certainty of operation. 33

designates anelectrical battery n the circuit ics ofy -which is included a bell or sounder 34:. The conductors 35 include a simple device/ for making and breaking the circuit, the Same having been shown as comprising a pair of springs 36, normally engaging an insulating strip 37 on one ofthe limbs 21 but'which, when then-limb 21 carryingsaid insulating strip is lowered, will engage each other, thus completing the circuit and causing the bell 34 to be sounded. When the limb 21 carrying the insulating strip 37 is lifted, to its normal position, the springs 36 Will be forced apart, and the circuit will bev broken, causing the sounding of the bell to be interrupted. i

Fixed on the underside ofthe platform `is a resilient dog 38 on which the bridge member 2O is normally supported, said dog having a depending lip 39 `provided with a recess 40 in which the bridgel member 20 is received when said bridge member is de' ressed by the action of the pedal 32. This evice'serves to retain the yoke comprising the bridge member 20 and the limbs 21 to be. retained in a depressed condition against thetension of the springs 30. The' resilient dog 38 however, lies in the path of a pedal memberlll which extends thrilgh the platform 17 and by the action of which the said resilient dog may be forcibly depressed to discngage the same from the bridge member 20. When the dog 38 is thus depressed the bridge member will be released and the yoke ofv which it forms a portion, will be raised by the springs 30 to its initial or normal position;

In the operation of this device it will be understood that the curtain is normally wound on the shaft 24 which forms afdrum or roller for said curtain. The curtain is normally retained in such wound condition by the engagement of the dogs 29 at the upper ends of thel limbs 2l with the spur wheels 28. By pressing the pedal 32 the' cashier standing behind the, counter may disengage the dogs 29 from the spur wheels 28, causing the curtain to be swiftly unrolled by the gravity of the bar 26 which is guided in the grooves 27. At the same time, the depression of the limbs 21 will move the insulatingstrip '37 from its position between -the sounding of the alarm.

the resilient dog 38 wherel it will beretained against the tension of the springs 30. By depressmg the pedal `l1 -the cashier .or operator may-dlsengage the bridge piece 20 pe r mitting the latter and the limbs 21 connected therewith,.to be lifted by the action` ofthe springs 30 thereby interposing theA insulating strip 37 between the springs 36, thus breaking the circuit and interrupting I claim r l. In a device of the class described, a. pair of-uprights, a roller supported for rotation in said uprights and having spur wheels at the ends thereof, a curtain wound on said roller and having 'a bar whereby it may be gravitationally unrolled, a yoke having limbs guided on the uprights 4and provided with dogs engaging the spur wheels, springs supporting the yoke and maintaining the dogs normally in engagement with the spur wheels, and means whereby saidyoke may be depressedvagainst the tension of the springs. 2. In a device of the class described, a pair of uprights, a roller supported for rotation in said uprights and. having spur wheels at the ends thereof, a curtain wound on said roller and having a bar `whereby iti may be gravitationally,unrolled,y a yoke having limbs guided on the luprightsand provided with dogs engaging the spu'r wheels, springs supporting the yoke and maintaining the dogs normally in engagement with the spur wheels, vand means whereby said yoke may be depressed against the tension of the springs; in combination with' a resilient dog having alip provided with a recess adapted to receive' the bridge member on the yoke to maintain the latter in depressed position against the tension of its actuating springs.

In testimony whereof I aHX my signature.

CHARLES '-M. SEARS. 

